Iraq needs S-400 air defense systems to defend against air attacks — MPFebruary 25, 0:26 UTC+3
"Iraq has the right to own cutting-edge weapons to defend its territory and air space from air attacks," head of the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee

"Iraq has the right to own cutting-edge weapons to defend its territory and air space from air attacks," he said. "Terrorism targets our country abundant in places sacred for every Iraqi. There are signs and warnings that extremists might use aircraft for attacks on those shrines, which cause lots of worries and anxiety in the country, as it was after an attack on Samarra’s holy places."

Samarra, an ancient city in northern Iraq, is home to some Shi’ite holiest shrines. Among them is the al-Askari mosque, regarded as a pilgrimage site for the Shi’ites. On 22 February 2006, its famous golden dome collapsed after a blast burying more than 80 worshippers under debris. The shrine’s destruction plunged Iraq into an unprecedented wave of violence and the country found itself on the brink of a civil war.

"America is a developed country, not less than any other. However, the World Trade Center was attacked by planes," al-Zamili noted. "So Iraq intends to possess such a system as S-400 to defend the land, shrines and air space. We are serious about that."

Along with this, the MP pointed out that the United States "is unwilling to equip Iraq with arms and to supply it with systems that will ensure comprehensive protection in its territory and air space," but wants Iraq "to be an open arena for realization of [US] plans."

"That is why, Iraq needs to have own [anti-aircraft] systems," he added. "It is our right to obtain them."

On Wednesday, the Shafaq News website said that an Iraqi delegation would visit Moscow in the near future for negotiating purchases of S-400 anti-aircraft weapon systems.

In October 2012, Moscow and Baghdad signed a contract for the supply of 48 air defense systems Pantsir-S and 36 helicopter gunships Mi-28 $4.2 billion worth. The details of the agreement were eventually changed several times as influence of the Islamic State terrorist group grew for a while in Iraq.

The S-400 Triumf (NATO’s reporting name SA-21 Growler) is a Russian air defense system of long and intermediate range. It is meant for destroying all current or future aerospace means of attack. It is capable of hitting aerodynamic targets 400 kilometers to 60 kilometers away - tactical ballistic missiles flying at a speed up to 4.8 kilometers per second: cruise missiles, tactical and strategic aircraft and warheads of ballistic missiles.

he Iraqi MP who heads the country's security and defense committee, Hakim Al Zamili, has been quoted as making the case for Baghdad to pursue a modern integrated air defense and surface to air missile system—namely Russia's much touted S-400 system.

Al Zamili stated the following according to Russia's TASS News Agency:

"Iraq has the right to own cutting-edge weapons to defend its territory and air space from air attacks... Terrorism targets our country abundant in places sacred for every Iraqi. There are signs and warnings that extremists might use aircraft for attacks on those shrines, which cause lots of worries and anxiety in the country... America is a developed country, not less than any other. However, the World Trade Center was attacked by planes... So Iraq intends to possess such a system as S-400 to defend the land, shrines and air space. We are serious about that.... [The U.S.] is unwilling to equip Iraq with arms and to supply it with systems that will ensure comprehensive protection in its territory and air space...but wants Iraq to be an open arena for realization of [US] plans. That is why, Iraq needs to have own [anti-aircraft] systems, it is our right to obtain them."

An Iraqi delegation is heading to Moscow soon to discuss the purchase of S-400 batteries for the Iraqi military according to the report. The country already fields a number of Russian weapon systems that were acquired after the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein. These include Mi-28 attack helicopters, Su-25 attack jets, Pantsir-S point air defense systems, T-90S tanks, among other systems. The war-weary country has moved increasingly away from American weapons purchases in recent years and Russia isn't their only vendor. For instance, Iraq has also bought unmanned aircraft from China, L159 light attack jets from the Czech Republic, and T-50 fighter-trainers from South Korea .

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The country's primary modern air defense asset is its fleet of 35 F-16IQs, although the aircraft have restrictions on their combat capabilities and weapons menu. Most notably, Iraq's F-16s were delivered with AIM-7 Sparrow capability only, and without the ability to fire far more capable and longer-ranged AIM-120 AMRAAMs.

In the aftermath of the country's dire fight to expel ISIS from its many of its major population centers, it was expected that Iraq would start to pay more attention to building-up its higher-end military capabilities. Long-range surface-to-air missile systems and the integrated networks of sensors and communications nodes that enable them are very hot items in the Middle East as of late.

Saudi Arabia is building an air defense system of massive proportions. Israel leads in this department with its dense multi-layered anti-air capabilities. Other Arab gulf states are also building up their air defenses with high-end western systems, and Iran, who is inching ever closer to Baghdad, has taken delivery of an advanced variant of the S-300 air defense system from Russia. To the west, the Russian's have deployed their own S-400 and S-300 batteries to their outposts in Syria.

Yet the S-400 is something of a geopolitical outlier as it is being procured by two U.S. allies, one of which is a NATO member, alongside American systems. Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are executing such peculiar procurement program. When it comes to Turkey, who is a F-35 partner nation, their fielding of such an advanced Russian system does not sit well with the U.S., but it is just one of many points of contention between the once far tighter allies. Qatar is also looking to buy the S-400, a country who is purchasing high-end weapons from virtually everyone (including F-15QAs from the U.S.) as of late in a play to beef up its defenses and to placate its foreign supporters.

SERGEI MALGAVKO\TASS VIA GETTY IMAGES
A S-400 transporter-launcher and a Pantsir-S1 point defense system. Iraq already has ordered the Pantsir for close-range air defense purposes.

Still, the fact that Iraq would move to acquire an advanced Russian air defense system over a western one is another sign of the country both executing its independence and moving away from the United States sphere of influence when it comes to national security issues. It also is indicative of the heavy influence Iran, a Russian ally, wields over large factions of the Iraqi Parliament. But the reality is that it's uncertain if the U.S. would even allow Iraq to buy Patriot missile batteries, so the move toward Russia is likely also an effort to avoid that uncertainty altogether.

Russia is likely to cut Iraq a good deal on the S-400 system as the Kremlin has a long-term strategy in the region, especially in the area spanning from Syria to Iran, of which Iraq is a critical part. Selling high-end arms at good prices to those you wish to assert some influence over in the future is an age old strategy that usually works remarkably well in the short-term, although it can have unintended consequences farther down the road.

One thing is for certain, having S-400 batteries arrayed around Iraq would make American access to the airspace over and around the country far more problematic than it is today should the Iraq's no longer view America's presence in their skies as warranted or wanted. The S-400 can reach out hundreds of miles, making its presence in Iraq a major issue for the country's neighbors as well.

in an interview with the chief of staff of the armed forces othman al ghanimi.

Iraq sent a team to study the S-400 system in Russia 9 months ago.
However we did not order the system at the time due to both the very high cost and the long delivery timelines.
Nevertheless the US does not prevent us from ordering any system we need.

Iraq and the United States are arguing about the purchase of Russian S-400s.

Following Washington's warnings, the Iraqi ambassador in Russia made it clear that Iraq could exercise its sovereignty in making any decision, including on the purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems.

Haydar Mansour Hadi, the Iraqi ambassador in Moscow, told Sputnik in an interview that Baghdad can resolve this issue with Washington in diplomatic negotiations.

At the same time, he noted that Iraq has the right to take a final decision on this issue for the protection of its people.

Hadi also stressed that Baghdad maintains good relations with Washington, and the purchase of S-400 systems should not be interpreted as distancing from the US for establishing closer ties with Russia.

after seeing the chinese talk so confidently about their finance / loan offers at the baghdad defence and security expo, my strongest suspicion is that Iraq is getting FD-2000 and maybe the LY-60 for medium range work.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A group of US lawmakers led by Senator Bob Menendez told the State Department in a letter that any sale of Russian S-400 air defense system should lead to new punitive measures as stipulated in the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

"We are writing today to specifically inquire about reported negotiations between Russia and certain countries over sales of the Russian government’s S-400 air defense system and whether these reported deals could trigger mandatory CAATSA sanctions," the letter said on Friday. "Under any circumstance, a S-400 sale would be considered a 'significant transaction' and we expect that any sale would result in designations."

The lawmakers also requested that the State Department provide detailed analysis on the current status of Russian S-400 talks with China, Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and any other country.

The senators based their letter on a report produced by the Congressional Research Service, which showed that Russia has been working on potential defense deals with different countries.

Menendez and co-signers demanded information on how the State Department is trying to prevent the sales of S-400 being finalized and reiterated Washington's accusations of Russia's aggression in Ukraine and meddling in democratic process in foreign states.
The request comes just a day after the Treasury Department used the CAATSA legislation, along with an Executive Order that was amended by CAATSA, to impose sanctions on five entities and 19 individuals.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Main Intelligence Directorate and six Russian individuals were sanctioned under the CAATSA legislation.

The US Congress passed CAATSA last summer in response to allegations that Russia sought to influence the 2016 US presidential election. Trump signed it into law on August 2.

Official Russian delegation consisting of officials from the Russian ministries of defense and of industry and trade will pay a visit to Baghdad, Haidar Mansour Hadi added

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Baghdad has not yet taken a final decision on purchases of Russian-made S-400 missile systems, Iraqi Ambassador to Russian Haidar Mansour Hadi said in an interview with TASS.

"We said we could buy S-400 systems, if need be. But no final decision has been taken so far. There have been no official talks with the Russian side either," he said.

When Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari was on a visit in Moscow in February 2018, he said his country was looking at buying S-400 missile systems.

Russia’s S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the latest long-range antiaircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and surface targets. The system can hit aerodynamic targets at a range of up to 400 kilometers (249 miles) and tactical ballistic targets flying at a speed of 4.8 km/s (3 mi/s) at a distance of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles). Such targets include cruise missiles, tactical and strategic aircraft and ballistic missile warheads.

The system’s radars detect aerial targets at a distance of up to 600 kilometers (373 miles). The system’s 48N6E3 surface-to-air missiles can hit aerodynamic targets at altitudes of 10,000-27,000 meters and ballistic threats at altitudes of 2,000-25,000 meters.

Mansour Hadi also added, that an official Russian delegation consisting of officials from the Russian ministries of defense and of industry and trade will pay a visit to Baghdad next week.

According to the Iraqi diplomat, the talks will focus on issues of military technical and energy cooperation.

Elections in Iraq
Mansour Hadi said that the results of the May elections to the Iraqi parliament are preliminary verified after vote recounting.

"Most of the ballot papers have already been recounted. I think the process will be over in several days and the government will announce the results. As of today, the recounting results practically completely confirm the initial results," he said.

Parliamentary elections in Iraq were held on May 12. The country’s High Electoral Commission opted not to use manual counting of votes. The move was met with severe criticism from a number of political parties which accused the commission of violations and vote rigging. After the result of the polls were made public, the Council of Representatives of Iraq passed amendments to the law on elections to recount the votes across the entire country. On June 12, Iraq’s Supreme Court recognized the parliament’s decision as complying with the constitution and thus sanctioned vote recounting. The process started on July 3 and is not over by now, with official results not announced yet.

The current parliament’s term expired on July 1, with the legitimate powers being exercised by the government until the official voting results are announced.

Amid the disputes over the May election results, winning political alliances said they had begun negotiations on forming a majority coalition in the future parliament. Thus, Saidun, a block of influential Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, (54 seats) has united with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s party (the Nasr block, 42 seats). They are expected to be joined by Fatah (47 seats) led by former minister of transport and commander of the Shia al-Hash al-Shaabadi, or Popular Mobilization Forces), al-Wataniya (21 seats) of Vice President Ayad Allawi and the Hikma (19 seats) party of another influential Shia leader Ammar al-Hakim.

"We need assistance to restore these monuments and we would be more than happy if Russian experts take part in the restoration works," he said.

Irrecoverable damage has been done to Iraq’s cultural heritage by Islamic State militants. On March 24, 2017, the United Nations Security Council passed the first-ever resolution geared to protect cultural heritage. The document, passed on a backdrop of reports on the destruction of cultural heritage sites in Iraq, Syria and other war-torn countries, has a number of recommendation on how to prevent such crimes. Thus, it is recommended to set up the so-called safe zones to protect world heritage sites and regulate exports and imports of historic artefacts through obligatory certification under international standards.

According to the Iraqi ambassador, the government has made a decision to purchase Russia's defense systems

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. The Iraqi government has made a decision to purchase the S-400 missile systems from Russia, Iraqi Ambassador to Moscow Haidar Mansour Hadi said at a press conference following the eighth meeting of the Russian-Iraqi intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation held in Baghdad on April 23-25.

"As for the missile defense systems, the government has made a decision, it wants to purchase the S-400," he said.

The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range ones, and can also be used against ground objectives. The S-400 system can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 35 km.